Chapter 159 You're The Best, Kurama

"Nothing." Ino quickly turned her head away, her face flushed red.

"Oh~!"

Naruto showed a teddy bear-like expression that said, 'I understand', and then quickly took a few steps back. Ino, clearly flustered, straightened up in an instant, her voice filled with shame and anger.

"What do you mean, 'oh'? You pervert! Jerk! Foot fetishist! Scumbag!"

"Thanks for the compliment."

"That wasn't a compliment! You!!" Ino was at her wit's end. She pinched her bathrobe with one hand and pointed at Naruto with the other, her finger trembling slightly with anger.

Naruto, sensing her frustration, smiled but didn't push further. He turned and walked into the kitchen, his voice trailing behind him.

"Take a seat for now. I've made some hot soup to ward off the cold. By the time you finish it, your clothes should be dry."

Ino and Hinata exchanged glances before silently looking away.

Neither of them is the kind of person who is willing to hurt others, but they are also resilient. If there is a thorn in their heart, they are willing to let it grow slowly, but when they think the time is right, they will remove it without hesitation.

During the long time they spent in the bathroom, Ino and Hinata had found a vague answer to their inner questions. However, that answer only existed in their minds and had no impact on the real world.

Naruto had no idea what they had discussed, and assumed it was just typical girl talk. Even if he knew, he wouldn't have thought much of it. After all, people's thoughts are numerous and can change at any time.

All he needed to do was continue living his life as he always had. No expectations meant no disappointments. It's best not to place too much hope in others.

…

At the dining table.

"You'll feel better if you drink some soup." Naruto ladled soup into two bowls, sliding them in front of Ino and Hinata, who were seated a little apart.

The three of them formed a long, narrow triangle at the table. The clock on the wall ticked steadily, and thin wisps of steam began to rise from the table.

He belatedly raised his head and looked at the two women. Through the rising steam, he saw their somewhat stiff expressions, like the tired faces of two friends who weren't very close, forced to drop their facades after a long, loud day.

Outside on the balcony, the sky was darkening.

The empty living room was quieter than it had ever been. The apartment door was closed tightly, sealing out the hustle and bustle of Konoha's streets, the distant sounds barely audible.

Naruto glanced at the three bowls of hot soup on the table, and tapped the table lightly. He then spoke half-jokingly as he ignored the tense atmosphere, "If anyone doesn't drink their soup, for the sake of your health, you'll have to stay here overnight for observation."

The silence was so intense you could hear a pin drop. Hinata kept her head down, not moving at all. But Naruto was certain both girls had heard him clearly.

Finally, Ino looked at him, her eyes misty and her voice frighteningly soft.

"You..."

With a hoarse voice as if crying, her expression was completely different from the confident, outgoing Ino Naruto usually knew.

Naruto was momentarily stunned, but he did not avoid her gaze. He raised his eyes and looked at Ino seriously. Although he had no idea what was bothering Ino, he knew that hesitating now would be a mistake.

"What's wrong?"

"I've been struggling with something…" Ino's spirit seemed to wane, and tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

For the first time, Naruto saw an expression completely different from usual on Ino's face. Her eyes were watery, filled with a mix of anguish and pleading.

It seemed that she could no longer tolerate Naruto's feigned ignorance. Although there wasn't an immediate need to clarify everything now, she still wanted to know how Naruto felt about her.

"I…"

Just as Ino was about to speak, Hinata suddenly reached for the hot soup and began drinking it in silence, one spoonful at a time.

She didn't say a word, just focused on finishing the soup, as if she were completing a task, racing against time.

Seeing this, Ino's words were caught in her throat. She opened her mouth but no sound came out. Hinata, having finished her soup, stood up with her head lowered and spoke softly, "Sorry, Naruto-kun, Ino, I need to go back."

With that said, Hinata quickly wrapped her bathrobe around herself and hurried into the bathroom. Only Ino and Naruto were left sitting at the dining table. After a moment, Ino also stood up abruptly, and muttered quietly, "I'm going back too."

Then, she went into the bathroom to retrieve her dried clothes. By the time she came inside, Hinata had already changed and was heading out, bowing slightly to Naruto before rushing out the door, almost as if she were fleeing.

Naruto covered his face and took a deep breath.

He suddenly realized that something extraordinary must have happened between the two girls, but now, it seemed pointless to ask about it.

Not long after, Ino also came out.

She didn't say goodbye, she just gave Naruto a deep look, let a single tear fall, pressed her lips together, and left.

The living room was now eerily quiet, with Naruto staring at a pot of hot soup. After a moment of silence, Kurama peeked his head out from the direction of the balcony, locking eyes with Naruto's deep blue eyes.

"Hey, kid, where did your two owners go?" Kurama's comment was as tactless as ever.

"They left." Naruto responded calmly.

He wasn't angry. Or rather, there was nothing to be angry about. Naruto had not lost anything in the current situation. No matter what Ino and Hinata thought, it would not affect him.

Things would be as they were meant to be… There was no need for him to make any promises or sacrifices at this age. Whether he continued playing dumb or genuinely didn't care is fine.

In short, do nothing and you won't go wrong.

"They left? Were they angry? Then what about my future drinks?" Kurama, simple and straightforward, didn't care about human emotions. He only cares about his booze.

"Well, there won't be any booze to drink in the future." Naruto lowered his head to drink the soup, and after a few sips, he looked at Kurama standing by the balcony door and called out, "Hey, Kurama, come drink some soup. You might want to finish it before we can't afford it anymore."

But before he could finish his words, Naruto saw Kurama silently retreat back to the balcony, closing the sliding door behind him without a word and starting to practice backflips.

Seeing this, Naruto stroked his chin and stopped drinking the soup. He simply stood up and walked over to the balcony, squatting next to Kurama to watch his backflips from every angle.

After all, while he could always win back the girls later, seeing Kurama attempt backflips was a once-in-a-lifetime event, possibly not to be repeated for hundreds of years.

"What are you doing?" Kurama stopped his backflip and asked seriously.

"Watching you do backflips." Naruto squatted on the ground and watched intently, "I wish I could record it, but unfortunately, I don't have a camera."

"Hmph!" Kurama scoffed and glanced at Naruto with disdain, "What do you know? You think I'm just doing this for fun? This is all part of my grand plan to dominate you pathetic humans and make you offer up more booze!"

"Oh, that makes sense! You're the best, Kurama, always thinking on another level." Naruto nodded approvingly.

"Then why are you just standing there?" Kurama glanced at Naruto, "Come practice with me."

Hearing this, Naruto actually stroked his chin and thought for a while. After a moment, he stood up, left a word 'stupid dog' and returned to the living room.